Page 25 of Silk and Honey

Angela’s eyes go wide, a soft, genuinely touched gasp escaping her lips. "Gifts? Oh, Avery, you shouldn't have! Gideon said you were busy."

"It's just a small token," I say.

They both open their bags right there on the porch. Angela pulls out the emerald-green silk scarf, her fingers instantly smoothing over the luxury fabric. "Oh, my goodness. The quality of this silk... it’s absolutely gorgeous, Avery. Look at this color, Lena!"

Lena pulls out the brass earrings, her face lighting up with excitement. "Are you freaking kidding? These are stunning! I'm putting them on right now." She clips them into her ears, shaking her head so they catch the light. "Thank you, Avery. You officially have better taste than anyone else on this farm."

Angela beams, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside the house. "Come, come inside. You must be starving. Let's eat!"

When I walk into the dining room, my jaw nearly drops to the floor.

I expected a nice, simple family dinner for four people. Instead, the long wooden dining table is completely buried under a mountain of food that looks like it could easily feed a football team of ten.

There is a huge porcelain bowl filled with chicken and pork adobo, that looks delicious in the dark sauce. Next to it is a mountain of pancit noodles tossed with colorful vegetables, a platter of crispy, fried lumpia rolls, a steaming container of what I’m told is arroz caldo, and another bowl that’s filled to the brim with fluffy white rice.

"Ma, this is too much food," Gideon complains, looking slightly embarrassed. He pulls out a chair for me before taking his own seat next to me. His massive frame takes up twice the space of anyone else at the table. "You’re going to scare Avery. It's just the four of us."

"Quiet, Gideon. A full table means a full heart," Angela says dismissively, grabbing a large serving spoon. If anyone else had said that, I would have thought it was cheesy. But coming from the tiny, beautiful woman in front of me, it’s fitting. Angela doesn't even wait for me to reach for a plate. She immediately takes my plate and scoops three massive spoonfuls of rice onto it, followed by two large pieces of chicken adobo, a mountain of noodles, and four crispy lumpia. "Here, Avery. Eat, eat. You are too thin. We need to feed you properly."

"Thank you so much," I say, genuinely amazed.

The first bite of the adobo is a revelation. The savory, tangy, garlicky sauce bursts across my tongue, the meat so incredibly tender that it melts instantly. "Oh my god," I breathe, my eyes widening. "Mrs. Angela, this is hands down the best thing I have ever tasted in my entire life."

Angela lets out a proud, joyful laugh, clapping her hands together. "See? He appreciates real cooking! Eat more, Avery. Have another lumpia."

“Ma,” Lena laughs. “He hasn’t even finished the first four you placed on his plate.”

Gideon chuckles, his shoulders finally relaxing. When we make eye contact, he gives me a sexy, confident wink.

The rest of the dinner is a whirl of laughter, warmth, and entertaining conversation. Angela and Lena spend the hour sharing hilarious, embarrassing stories about Gideon’s childhood, describing how he used to sneak over to a neighboring farm to care for the animals as a teenager and would still whine if he accidentally stepped on a caterpillar.

Gideon sits next to me, hiding his face in his large hands, his deep chuckles vibrating through the floorboards as he tries—and fails—to stop them from teasing him.

Every time my plate gets low, Angela’s small hand shoots across the table with a serving spoon. "Just a little more pancit, Avery. For long life," she insists.

"Ma, he's full," Gideon tries to intervene, noticing my slow, heavy movements.

"He is a growing boy, Gideon! He needs his strength for his fashion drawings," Angela fires back, plunking another piece of pork onto my plate. "Eat, Avery."

By the time an hour passes, I’m physically incapable of swallowing another bite. I set my fork down, leaning back against my chair with a defeated sigh.

"Angela, please," I laugh and groan, holding my hands up in surrender. "It’s so delicious, but if I take one more bite, I’m going to literally burst! I’m so full."

Angela looks at my plate, then up at my face, a satisfied, loving smirk settling over her beautiful features. "Okay, okay. I will let you rest. But you are taking the rest home."

By ten o'clock, the table is cleared, and Angela has successfully packed a small mountain of plastic Tupperware containers into a heavy paper shopping bag.

"There is enough adobo in here for your entire week, Avery," Angela says, handing me the heavy bag as we stand on the front porch. She reaches up, cupping my jaw with her soft hand. "Thank you for coming, sweetheart. And thank you for the beautiful scarf. You come back anytime, okay? You are family now."

"Thank you, Angela. I really appreciate it," I say softly, tears springing to my eyes. I miss my mother, and I know if she ever had the opportunity to meet Gideon and his family, she would approve. A deep, profound sense of belonging wraps around my heart.

Lena waves from the doorway, her new brass earrings catching the porch light. "See ya, Avery! Don't let Gid keep you up too late!"

Gideon groans, grabbing my hand and leading me down the porch steps before his sister can say anything else. The night air is cool and refreshing. We walk down the gravel path, past my truck, heading toward the dark tree line at the back of the property where his small cedar cottage sits.

We stop near the porch of his cottage. The small building is quiet, surrounded by the low chirp of crickets. Gideon turns to face me, taking the heavy bag of leftovers from my hand and setting it down on a wooden bench.

He steps into my space, his massive frame completely blocking out the distant lights of the main house. He looks down at me, and there’s a heated look on his handsome face.